I was delighted to visit the Merchants Inn to celebrate their upcoming Beer Festival and to toast the cancellation of the 3p increase in beer duty planned by the last Government by the Chancellor in his recent Budget.
Many people contacted me calling for this cancellation and I welcome the fact that the Government has gone further than many campaigners were asking by cutting beer duty by 1p.
As well as cutting beer duty this Government has reversed the last Government’s 10 per cent above inflation increase on cider tax and put in place a scheme to help struggling establishments.
We are lucky to have pubs like the Merchants Inn here in Rugby which are institutions of great social and economic value and I am delighted that the Government is supporting them.